William Hurt for Allman biopic

William Hurt is to play musician Gregg Allman in the biopic Midnight Rider.

The film, an adaptation of Gregg Allman's memoir My Cross To Bear, will see All American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter playing the young Allman, with Wyatt Russell as guitarist Duane Allman.

Hurt has now joined the project as the older Allman, according to Billboard, which is scheduled to begin shooting in February in Savannah, Georgia.

The movie will tell the story of Allman's journey to stardom as frontman of The Allman Brothers Band, which also saw his descent into addiction as he succumbed to the excesses of rock and roll. It will also follow Allman's realisation at 64 that he had to get clean if he wanted to stay alive.

Randall Miller will direct the film, which he co-wrote with Jody Savin.

Jody said: "William Hurt actually helped start Randy's career years ago. He made an anonymous monetary donation to Randy's AFI thesis film. And when his identity was revealed, he even agreed to do the voiceover on the film."

Hurt, 63, who plays a Texas ranger on the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde in the new Lifetime mini-series about the famous criminals, won an Oscar for The Kiss Of The Spider Woman in 1985.